Clamping device



June s, 1945. J. G. BRncuFFl- 2,371,479f

GLAMPING DEVICE Filed June 25, 1943 Patented June 5, 1945 CLAMPIN G DEVICE John G. Britcliffe, Lakewood, R.. I., assignor to Screw Machine Products Company, Inc., a corporation of Rhode Island Application June 25, 1943, Serial No. 492,294

3 Clams. (Cl. 24-19) This invention relates to a clamping device of the type particularly adapted for clamping a hose to a tubular member about which it is' positioned. Hose clamps are usually provided in several different weights dependent upon the pressure which is to be applied to the hose for holding it contracted about the tubular member to which it is to be fastened. The weight of the hose clamp is Selected dependent upon the strength necessary to prevent Spreading of the parts adjacent the tightening portion of the clamp where slots occur to weaken the portions which enter into this clamping action. A clamp which is as light as possible is desired in order to reduce the weight for Air Corps work and yet maintain the strength desired.

One of the objects of this invention is to reinforce and strengthen a light-weight clamp at a point where spreading usually occurs in order that the light-weight Vclamp may be utilized to withstand greater binding pressures.

Another object of this invention is to permanently secure parts of the clamp together which have heretofore been Separable to prevent their.

spreading.

Another object of the invention is to utilize a part of the Strap to reinforce the shoe with which the strap is associated in order to provide a strongly unified structure and to cause each to support the other.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through the hose illustr'ating in elevation the clamp of my improved construction;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the shoe;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the shoe looking at the opposite side thereof;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a fragmental portion of a Strap;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a fragmental portion of the Strap assembled with the shoe; and

Figure 6 is a perspective 'view of the shoe with a fragmental portion of the Strap assembled therewith and secured in position.

In proceeding with this invention I have provided a shoe bent to provide right angular extending portions which are rmly secured in this right angular relation to prevent bending and I have reinforced the whole so that spreading of one of the portions cannot be easily had.

I have associated with this shoe a part of the Strap which is bent over the portion desiredv to be reinforced and is additionally secured thereto by welding so as to provide several plies of the portion which is to withstand the strain all of which is secured into a one unified structure by attaching means which in this particular case is welding. Spreading is thus well resisted.

Withreference to the drawing,` IO designates generally a shoe which is provided with a bottom wall ll, Slotted as at l2 and |3, and provided with side walls H folded upwardly -from the bottom wall at right angles thereto. These side walls 14 are provided with fianges "l'and |6 bent inwardly toward each other at right angles to the side walls I 4 and attached to these side walls throughout their length. These fianges together form an end wall which is slotted as at l'l a portion of its extent while at |8 and I 9 theflanges overlap one another and are securely welded in this overlapping relation as at 20. By this arrangement I provide a shoe all of a'single piece of material with right angularly extendingl parts one bent from another and securely held in angular relationship by the securing to-Y gether of' the two overlapping parts to prevent a spreading apart at the slot which may occur when pressure is applied to the wall having this slot therein.

The Strap designated generally 2| consists of a sufiicient encircling length 22 of a fiexible ribbon provided with openings 23 for the reception of the head 24 of a connecting member v25 threaded as at 26 and onto which a wing nut 21 may be placed. At a point inwardly from the end 28 of the strap the same is doubled on itself as at 29 providing plies 30 and 3| of an extent about twice the height of the fianges l5 and IS of the shoe. This doubled portion 29 is positioned upwardly through the slot l2 in the bottom wall ll of the shoe as shown in Figure 5 and is then folded as at 32 over the upper edge 33 of these fianges so as to substantially cover the outer surface as well as the inner surface of the end wall of the shoe.

A slot 34 preformed in this doubled portion of the Strap is of a dimension So that when this doubled portion of the Strap is positioned as shown in Figure 6 this slot 34 will register with the slot |1 in the end wall. The doubled portion consisting of the two plies 35 and the two plies 36 on the inner and outer Surfaces of the fianges are secured to these fianges or the end wall by spot welding the doubled portion to each fied structure.

side of the flanges on either side of the registering slots I'l and 34 as at 31 so as to provide a single unified structure or wall consisting of five plies, which plies are all welded into a uni- Part of each single ply lies on opposite sides of the slot so that great pressure applied to this five-ply end wall may be had without spreading the portions on either side of the co'mmon slot ,forrned by the registering slots heretofore described.

In use the connecting member 25 is passed through an appropriate hole 23 in the strap with the excess end thereof 38 doubled inwardly upon itself to extend along the outer surface of the hose 39. The bite of the strapthus formed and engaged by the head 24 of the connecting member is then drawn in between the walls N of the shoe by the connecting member 25 being positioned through the registering slots 40 of the end wall of the shoe and the strap as shown ;in Figure 6. The Wing nut 21 may then be threaded -up to engage either side of this slot by pressing against the five-ply wall heretofore pointed out. The strap will be drawn snugly about the hose 39 to contract it by the pressurel being applied against this 'five-ply wall all secured together as a single unitary part. Ordinarily this pressure will tend to spread portions of the wall on either side of the common slot 40 but inasmuch as this portion against which pressure is applied is reinforced by reason of these many plies and by reason of the plies being secured together by welding a much greater pressure may be applied without spreading of this portion of the device on either side of the slot and thus a clamp of a much lighter material than has heretofore been formed may be provided. The clamp will withstand the pressure heretofore withstood by the heavier clamps formed as'the stock may be made o'f light material and by reason of the reinforcement at the vital point while the remainder of the clamp to which the strainis not so acute will remain of .the lighter stock.v

I claim:

1. A clamping device comprising a single piece of sheet stock folded to lprovide a shoe having a bottom wall provided with a slot, side walls extending therefrom, flanges extending inwardly from each side wall into overlapping relation, weld means for securing said flanges to each other at the overlapping portions to prevent separation of said side walls, a strap for encircling the object to be clamped having a'portion doubled on itself and extending through said slot in said bottom wall and along the opposite sides of said flanges, and over an edge thereof, said strap portion and flanges having registering slots and a connecting member secured to said strap and extending through said slots and weld means for securing said strap portion to said flanges.

2. A clamping device comprising a single piece of vsheet stock folded to provide a shoe having a vbottom wall vprovided with a slot, side walls extending therefrom, flanges extending inwardly from feach side wall into overlapping relation, weld means for securing said flanges to each other at the overlapping portions to prevent separation of -said side walls, a strap for encircling the object to be clamped having a portion extending through said slot in said bottom wall and along one side of said flanges, said strap portion and flanges having registering slots-and va connecting member secured to said strap 'and extending through said slots and weld means for securing said strap portion to said flanges.

3. A clamping device comprising a single piece of sheet stock folded to provide a shoe having 'a bottom Vwall provided with a slot, side walls extending therefrom, flanges extending inwardiy from each 'side wall into overlapping relation. weld meansA for securing said flanges to each other at the overlapping portions to prevent'separation of said side walls, a strap for encircling the object to be clamped having a portion doubled von itself and extending through said slot in said bottom wall and along the opposite sides of said flanges, and over an edge thereof, said strap portion and'fianges having registering slots. the portions on the opposite side of the slot in said strap being connected at the opposite ends of said slot and a connecting member secured to said strap and extending through said slots 'and weld means for securing said strap portion 'to said flanges. w

JOHN G. BRITCUFFE. 

